His mother was Marjorie Oelrichs, a Newport, Rhode Island and New York City socialite who died unexpectedly when he was just five days old.
[1] Duchin formed his first professional band, which played the St. Regis Hotel in New York City, in 1962 thanks in part to his family name and the networking it had made possible.
"[2] Duchin's music was much heard on middle of the road radio in the late 1960s and early 1970s from albums and singles released on the Decca, Bell and Capitol labels.
Also in 1964, Duchin made his acting debut in the film The World of Henry Orient, which also featured Peter Sellers, Angela Lansbury, Tom Bosley, and Phyllis Thaxter, among others.
From 1985 to 1989, Duchin had a professional partnership with Jimmy Maxwell, leader of the traditional society jazz band in New Orleans.
He has served on the boards of American Ballet Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Spoleto Festival USA, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the board of Trustees for the Glimmerglass Opera of Cooperstown, New York, the Advisory Council for the American Russian Youth Orchestra, the National Jazz Service Organization, the World Policy Institute, and the Citizens Committee For New York City.